Bank protective apparatus



June 21', 1932. A. YOUNG ET AL 1,363,580

BANK PROTECTIVE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventure! Buzz, I

A tlorney June 21, 1932.

A. YOUNG ET AL M emch fiaam BANK PROTECTIVE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1931'3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors A llqme y June 21, 1932. A. YOUNG ET AL1,863,680

BANK PROTECTI VE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 llli l////////////A Inventors 4422071 920 Wan M S \fizz a/zen yereizas'er Atforney Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES we deem ANDREW YOUNG ANDSTEPHEN GERENCSER, OF WINDBEB, PENNSYLVANIA BANK PROTECTIVE APPARATUSApplication filed January 6, 1981.

The present invention relates to a bank protective apparatus and theprime object of the invention is to provide means for effectivelyprotecting banks and similar financial insti- 5. tutions which arenormally accessible to the public during business hours and hence aremade the object of attack for the purpose of robbery by men who hold upthe tellers located at the paying windows under restraint by means offirearms or by actually attacking such officials before means forprotecting the funds of the institution can be utilized, and it istherefore the purpose specially of the present invention to provideprotective, bullet-proof curtains or shields which may be moved intoposition to protect the tellers and the funds and portable securities intheir position or into position between the tellers and anyone locatedoutside of the screen or grating of the bank or like institution and toprovide means for signalling outside help by the display of a signallingpanel.

Another very important object of the inr vention resides in theprovision of an apparatus of this nature which is exceedingly simple inits construction, inexpensive to manufacture and install, thoroughlyefiicient and reliable in use and operation, easy to manipulate andotherwise well adapted to the 0 purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features ofconstruction, and in the 5 combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a tellers cage showing the variouswindows and the curtains or shields associated therewith and theoperating mechanism,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the line22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary outside View of the building showing thedisplay of the signal panel, and

Serial No. 506,986.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 55of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the numeral 5denotes a cage, grating, walls or the like having teller windows 6therein of conventional construction. Alongside of the windows arevertical channel guides 7 for curtains or shields 8 preferably of bulletproof material and connected with cables 9 trained over pulleys 10. Thecables 9 are windable on drums 11 on a shaft 12. There may be aplurality of shafts 12 geared together as at 14 and these shafts may beactuated for winding the cables thereon by means of an electric motor 15geared to one of the shafts 12 as at 16. A plurality of ratchet wheels17 are mounted on the shaft 12 one under each window. Rocker shafts 18are mounted alongside of the shaft 12 and are geared together forsimultaneous operation as at 19 and have fixed thereto pawls 20 forengaging ratchet wheels 17. These pawls have pedal extensions 21. A drum11 is mounted on one of the shafts 12 and has a cable 9 windable thereonin the same direction as the cables 9 and is trained over suitablepulley structures 10 to a signal panel 23 mounted in the wall of thebuilding to be displayed through an opening 24 and to be normally movedup into a pocket 25. The signal panel moves down into displayingposition when the screens or shields gravitate down into protectiveposition.

It is quite apparent from the above detailed description that should arobber appear at any of the windows the teller at that window or any ofthe other tellers may step on his pedal 21 which will release all of thepawls allowing the shields and the signal panels to gravitate downwardlythereby protecting 99 the tellers and at the same time signalling peopleoutside of the bank that a robbery is being intended.

A hand operated lever and ratchet mechanism 26 may be used on the shaft12 in place of the motor if desired.

Access may be had to the panel in the opening 24: by means of a door 28.The signal panel is slidable in channel irons 29.

It is thought that the construction, operam0 tion, utility andadvantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilledin this art without a more detailed descrip tion thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described inconsiderable detail merely for the purposes of eXemplification since inactual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and inthe combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit oriscope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is:

In combination with a wall having a plurality of windows therein,guideways at the sides of the windows, a gravity shield slidable in eachpair of guideways for closing a window when the shield is in loweredposition, a pair of pulleys located above each window, a cable passingover each pair of pulleys having one end connected to theupper end of ashield, a shaft supported for rotary movement adjacent the bottom of thewall, drums on said shaft and fastened thereto and to which the lowerends of the cables are connected, means for rotating the shaft to causethe cables to wind on the drum to raise the shields, ratchet wheels onthe shaft,

one under each window, a second shaft supported for rotary movementadjacent the lower end of the wall and parallel to the first shaft,pawls fast on the second shaft one engaging each ratchet wheel forholding the first shaft in position with the cables wound on the drumsthereof and a pedal extension on each pawl whereby depression of any oneof the pedals will release all the pawls to permit all of the shields todrop into closing position.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

ANDREW YOUNG. STEPHEN GERENCSER.

